L.L.Bean pledges $1M to The Trust for Public Land to create more parks

Courtesy / Trust for Public Land With help from the Trust for Public Land, Maine's Department of Conservation permanently protected roughly 11,800 acres around Tumbledown Mountain in December 2002. L.L.Bean has pledged $1 million to help the trust "build parks and green spaces where they're needed most."

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By Staff

L.L.Bean is putting some serious philanthropic cash in support of its “Be An Outsider” branding initiative by pledging to give $1 million to The Trust for Public Land to create more public parks and green spaces.

The Freeport-based outdoor retailer stated in a news release that its $1 million investment and partnership with The Trust for Public Land is intended to help connect more people to nature. Noting that studies show that 1 in 3 Americans don’t have access to a park or green space within a 10-minute walk from their home, L.L.Bean said its investment “will provide funding to help build parks and green spaces where they’re needed most, in support of The Trust for Public Land’s campaign to put a quality park within a 10-minute walk of every person in America.”

Funding will be distributed annually through the new partnership and will be given to up to five worthy community projects across the nation each year.

“At L.L.Bean, we’ve always been about trying to get more people outside, whether it’s a paddle down a remote river or a hike on a nearby neighborhood trail,” Shawn Gorman, L.L.Bean’s executive chairman and great-grandson of L.L.Bean, said in the news release. “The Trust for Public Land shares in this mission with the great work they do to create green spaces, as well as preserve those that already exist. We’re very proud to be partnering with The Trust for Public Land to promote our common goals of improving access to the outdoors for all.”

“Everyone deserves a great park within a 10-minute walk of home,” said Diane Regas, president and CEO of The Trust for Public Land. “With this support, L.L.Bean is helping communities ensure that every person — no matter their background, income, or zip code — has access to great outdoor experiences right where they live.”

Trust for Public Land's Maine projects

On its website, The Trust for Public Land highlights some of the Maine projects it’s been involved with since 1972, which are among more than 3.3 million acres that have been protected and completed through more than 5,400 park and conservation projects nationwide.

Among the Maine projects:

Cold Stream Forest in The Forks region.
A partnership with Portland Trails and the city of Portland to create the Portland Open Space Vision and Implementation Plan for future open-space protection and improvement.
Penobscot Valley Community Greenprint, a collaboration between March 2007 and June 2009 involving 12 Penobscot Valley communities working to address land use conservation on a regional scale.
Mount Blue — In December 2001 the trust helped the Maine Department of Conservation acquire 2,468 acres as an addition to Mt. Blue State Park.
Higgins Beach access — When the lone public access point to popular Higgins Beach in Scarborough was up for sale, the trust negotiated agreements with the landowners, purchased the properties and conveyed both to the town of Scarborough.
Tumbledown Mountain — With help from the trust, Maine’s Department of Conservation permanently protected roughly 11,800 acres around Tumbledown Mountain in December 2002.

On Oct. 10, The Trust for Public Land is leading the first-annual National Walk to a Park Day, described as “a day of celebrating the parks we have and advocating for the parks we need.” The event encourages people to take a break and take a walk to enjoy a nearby park or green space.